About BC Books Online
BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
Description
Alan Twigg has here recovered the amazing story of how George and Ingeborg Woodcock, while travelling in northern India in 1961, encountered many of the Tibetan refugees who had recently fled over the mountain passes. Appalled by the condition of the children - huddled together with inadequate bedding, surviving on a diet of thin soup and steamed dumplings - the Woodcocks vowed to help.
Hearing of this, one of the Tibetans said, "You must absolutely come and see uncle." This was KhandoYapshi, the Dalai Lama's niece. Among the first Westerners to meet with the Dalai Lama, the Woodcocks offered to campaign to provide humanitarian assistance. This was the genesis for the Tibetan Refugee Aid Society (TRAS), one of two remarkable non-profit charities spearheaded by the Woodcocks - the other being Canada India Village Aid (CIVA) - that have touched the lives of millions.
Since 1962, TRAS has raised over $5 million and undertaken 300 projects. Both of the Woodcocks' volunteer-based, low overhead organizations are still going strong today.
Contributor Notes
Alan Twigg has written and published BC Bookworld, a cultural newspaper, since 1987. His sixteen books include: First Invaders (Ronsdale, 2004), Aboriginality (Ronsdale, 2005), Thompson's Highway (Ronsdale, 2006), 101 Top Historical Sites of Cuba (Beach Holme, 2004), Intensive Care: A Memoir (Anvil Press, 2002), and Strong Voices: Conversations with 50 Canadian Writers (Harbour, 1988). He has also produced six films about authors and a music CD with David Lester for poet Bud Osborn. Hehas conceived and coordinated numerous literary prizes, and created and compiled a public service reference site, abcbookworld.com, to offer free information on more than 9,000 British Columbia authors. In 2000 he received the first annual Gray Campbell Award for outstanding contributions to the writing and publishing community of British Columbia. He was the Shadbolt Fellow at Simon Fraser University. He makes his home in Vancouver.
